VINCENT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1274, 30 July 1886, Page 2

VINCENT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Tim usual two monthly meeting of the Council was held in the County Offices, Clyde, on Wednesday, the 28th inst. Present;—Crs. W. Fraser, Chairman : Pitches, Stronach, Howell, McCarthy, and Butler,

The minutes of previous meeting were read and confirmed.

Schedules of Inward and outward correspondence were read, and the following considered.

From Mr Hodgkinson—Asking to be refunded L 25, amount paid by him for the erection of a culvert on his property.—The application was refused. Mr Mr J. Holt—7?e payment of hla demand for supplying the town of Clyde with water.

Resolved—That Mr Holt be informed that the resolution of of Council embodying an offer in settlement of the account will be rescinded unless the said offer be aooepted on or before the 4th of August. Correspondence to and from the Government relative to the payment of subsidy iu terms of the regulations for aid to prospecting. The Government refusing to recognise any claim for subsidy because the proposals were not submitted to Government before the work was commenced.

The Chairman entered into a long explanation, showing that the refusal of the Government was but a splitting of straws, as it virtually meant that if the printed regulations were to he adhered to to the very letter, the whole regulatious were a farce. He said the Council, in the faith of the Government acting up to tho regulations, had paid away close approaching L2OO. After discussion, it was resolved—That the Chairman further ptesa upon the Government for their share of this amount, viz , LIOO.

A deal of correspondence from James Lawrence, relative to the mode adopted by the overseer of works on the Makarora track, of giving the ffl«n that are discharged their time sheets. The letters explained that by the system in force, men were able to give two or more orders on the county for the same amount due them, indeed, snob had been done, and he found that orders handed to him in payment for goods supplied were valueless, as other orders had been presented before his, and asking relief.

A report from the overseer was also read, from which it was gleaned that the fault was that of Mr Lawrence for giving unlimited credit, and not with the system. ■ln this matter the whole of the duplicated orders were laid on the table, and after discussion it was resolved -That the Council, while regretting that Mr Lawrence should make a heavy loss, had no option hut to honor the orders first received in favor of Mr Theyeis, L 6 13s; Mrs Dowling, L 5 17s and L 5 7a ; and Mr Davies, L 6 7s. 8o as to prevent the recmrence of a like trouble, the Chairman and Engineer were requested to devise some other and better system than the one in use.

Constable Pasmussen was appointed inspector of slaughter-houses for Clyde and district.

A letter was read from the Inspecter of Police intimating that the police had no power to impound cattle nr horses for straying within the limits of the town of Clyde, They could simply lay informations against the owners for allowing their cattle to be at large.

The Chairman stated that the powers of appointing trustees of cemeteries, under the “ Cemeteries Act," had been delegated to this Council, He would recommend Me-srs B Naylor, seur., T. H. Bell, A Joss, and E. McManus to be trustees of the Clyde cemetery. J

Cr Howell tabiert a letter from Messrs Werner and Vercoe, of Lowborn, askino the Council ro expend 1,15 in making a road to enable them to take some ir, n piping to their claim.

Held over till next meeting for the Engineer’s report.

The Chairman reported that as a result of his journey to Wellington, he had been able to do but little. He had interviewed the Minister of Works relative to the Cromwell Bridge, and pointed out that it was quite heyoud ihe power of Iho Council to underthe building of a new bri Ige on the L to L subsidy principle, but the Council would he willing, provided the Government would unconditionally o IV6 the sum planed on last year’s estimates, viz., L 3500, and feeling assured that the Council would bear him out in that, ho had made that proposal in writing to the Minister of Wo k«, adding, moreover, that the Council would prepare the plans and submit same f.. r tho approval of the Government After a few days delay he was informed that the Government would not alter last year’s vote- He had obtains I the support and assistance of both Mr Pyke (member for Dmistan) and Mr Fergus (member for Lakes), but they bad been of no avail. Ho rii I not wish to speak disparaging! v of either gentlemen, nor would ho think of asking either gentlemen to barter his political principles for an oooa siouai benefit to bis constituents, but it was very plain to him that the fact of both being in opposition to the Government was in a degree the cause of their holding out. Considering the large sums the Govern 11 eat were spending in the adjoining county of ! uapeka on the Beaumont and Roxburgh bridge, and in point of importance there was no comparison between the Roxburgh and Cromwell Bridges, he did not think justice was being meted out to them by the Government. He also said that while in Wellington he had interviewed the Premier re the proposed am-.n lmen's to the Hospital’s and Charitable Insticutons Act, and bad given evidence before the Rabbit Com-mi-sion, and attended generally to the interests o? the County. He concluded bv saying that as the Council now know the worst, it would be well for them before the meeting close ■ to make up their minds what had to be done. Ha thought that as ni terms of. the Government Loans to Local Bodies Bill, which was almost sure to pass, the County could bornow, say L 2500 at 4 per cent interest, that they shonld make arrangements to doso. If that were done, the Council could go on at onco with the bridge, and take but little from the ordinary revenue. He said there was but little doubt a bridge could be built for L 300 0; indeed, tuey had two private offers at that sum.

A.fter some further remarks, Cr Stronach rose and said that while the Chairman had not succeeded to thevfull, he yet was entitled to a hearty voter of thanks tor taking the journey to Wellington in the interests of the County. \ Cr Pitches, in seconding the motion, said for his part he thought Chairman was entitled to something morp than thanks. It wat not to be thought lhh,t the Chairman, beside a giving his time, could bear the whole i f the expenses.

The motion was carried uhaninmus’y. At a later stage of the Wcting, it was resolved that the Engineer «e authorised to set to work at once in preparing plans and specifications for an in.n bridge to he erected at Cromwell at a minimum coat consistent with efficiency, \

The Treasurer’s statement of accounts was real ami laid on the tabic.

The Chairman also went into figures, showing that on the Ist of April - the 1 conn raencement of the new year—t.lio Council had a balance in hand of L7CO. Ho al io said that the total rates unpaid fur 18S1 5

were about L 45 5 and for 1883 6 were L 42 odd, which he thought highly satisfactory. The Engineer’s reports on roads, contracts, ferries, and bridges, etc., were read, and the following recommendations authorised f—Tqat the sum of Ll2 be voted for the new road from the Terrace down to Perrlam’a Flat; that LlO be spent on road leading from head of Lake Wanaka to Mr Stewart’s property ; that L 25 be expended in forming and gravelling piece of road near Mr Chappie’s farm ; that part of Mr J, S, Dickie’s section on Tiger Hill be purchased for a gravel reserve j that new ring posts be obtained for new punt at Lowburn, It was decided not to grant the extension of time asked for by contractor for contract 148.

Resolved—That 3 months extentlon of time be granted for completion of contracts 151 and 152. *

Resolved—-That tenders be called for repaiiing Luggate Creek footbridge. Or. Bolder asked if it was intended torefund to Featharatooe and Steel the L3O the Council had in hand, and deducted from one of their contracts for not completing same in time. e

It was explained that it was solely “ men that the road beyond Bald Hill Flat was in so wretched a condition, and it was thought that there would b «| of time to consider the question when they personally applied for payment. tbea adjourned till 10 a.m. on the 29th inst.

On resuming on the 29th The reports from the rangers, recommending that 85 head of cattle be registered for the Dunstan Commonage, and 49 for Cromwell. The ranger for Dunstan Commonage reported that a nnmber of small mobs of sheep were trespassing on the commonage, and asking the Council to have same removed, as owners of cattle depas.th° were complaining of the destruction of grass by them. Resolved -That the owners of the sheep be informed that the commonage will be mustered shortly, and unless the same are removed by then they will be impounded Applications for Slaughtering licenses by Messrs F. Morgan, T. McKay, and J Smith were granted, The ratepayers roll was laid on the table, and Ora Stronach and Howell were authovised to sign same; and it was decided to give notu e that a rate for the year 1880 87 of £ ra the L will ho struck, t Sa J (l, 33 ? um pared with the last roll, the valuation of the county had fRTRmfn L34, - 000 -r the fi « ures being L 876,000 as against 1.919.000, and a $ rate would total np L 1825, and that the total revenue for the year would be, from all sources, nearly L9OOO. The position of the county, financially, was highly satisfactory and upon which the Council might fairly congratulate themselves. y The Council now retired into committee and on resuming business made the followmg recommendations .--That the tender of cepte j “ ea for contract No. 166, be ac-

That accounts amounting to L 47 4a Od be passed for payment. * That LlO be vote 1 for petty cash. Cr Pitches moved—That the sum of £ls be voted to the Trustees of the Blacks cemetery to enable them to erect a fence around the above-named cemetery. Seconded by Cr. McCarthy y Discussion ensued over this motion, the expressed opinion of the majority of the Council was adverse to spending money on auy such pirp .se, arguing that if one grant ™ldt ir Bry . ce '. ne,ei y w ‘he county ' would look for a similar one. J J Motion lost. ' /

Cr Howell moved-That a foot-bridge be crec ed across the Card.ona Biver exceed 112. Stronacll ’ Carried.

Cr Butler moved That the sum of LlO x B Leanini ' RnT' road lrom x., yeaning Kook ba vev District to Buckley a coal pit, Blackman’s Gully Stron: ‘ ch - Carried. * sumof L nnh y mfJV f d r Tllat a father wi?hS.“r led ontho Makar ° ra

Cr VPCarthy mnved-Tbat the road between Sections 26 and 27. Block i, Tarras exceeTuS Ser at a Co3t not to exceed Lls. Seconded by Cr. Butler. CarCr Howell prop sed—That Mr H. Tobin be refunded the sum of L 5 to cover cost of culvert constructed by him under road close SJja** Seooadud by Ur McCarthy,

Lio'to^o 0 *!' 1117 .. ? sked for ex Penditnre of LlO to construct two Averts across main S, °" M * * C r . Howell proposed—That the Governor be petmoued in terms of the “ Impounding Act ’ r" * T 8 5 anrl 6 of the sal d Coun v 1 S u M , d , ° P r* tion ic rbT y T< beeondßd by Cr. Stronaoh. G-.r----nwl. Inc meeting then closed.